‘Brothers’ Review: Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage Play Estranged Twins in Amazon’s Erratic Crime Caper

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As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that Brothers is a rollercoaster ride through the twists and turns of familial drama, albeit one that feels more like a retro arcade game than the latest triple-A title.

The trend of streaming content over traditional theater releases is accelerating, as demonstrated by the movie “Brothers,” a production by Legendary Entertainment. This movie was briefly shown in a few cinemas for a week before being released on Amazon Prime Video on October 17, without any screenings for critics. This approach seems to be advantageous for this light-hearted film, which may not have the substance to contend at the initial award season box office. Instead, it will likely find its audience in the streaming world, where commitment may not be as crucial.

Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage portray unconventional siblings with strong jawlines (Dinklage’s prominently accentuated by a stylish mustache) in Max Barbakow’s second film production. Instead of the delicate, nuanced comedy seen in Palm Springs, this movie opts for more straightforward humor, which unfortunately results in a less impactful outcome.

In the opening, we meet career criminal Jady Munger, portrayed by Dinklage, who successfully negotiates a significant reduction in his prison term for burglary and assault through an underhanded agreement with corrupt Judge Farful, played by M. Emmet Walsh.

With Brendan Fraser’s character James, the corrections officer of Farful, watching closely, Jady consents to recover and hand over a valuable collection of emeralds, worth millions, hidden away years ago by his mother Cath Munger (played by Glenn Close) when she fled to avoid arrest. To execute his scheme, Jady aims to enlist the help of his twin brother Moke (Brolin), who’s striving to lead an honest life after teaming up with Jady on several heists that came close to landing him in prison as well.

Initially, it may take some getting used to seeing Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Josh Brolin as twin brothers. However, one might assume that a fun, predictable heist comedy is about to unfold. Yet, such assumptions are swiftly challenged by an unexpectedly intricate web of family drama.

At an unexpected baby shower for Abby (Taylour Paige), Moke’s wife, enters Jady, putting Moke’s neatly organized life at risk. He may keep his life intact if he can appease Jady by using his safe-cracking abilities to retrieve the emeralds. As they embark on a journey to execute the task, with officer Farful hot on their trail, Moke remains oblivious to the pain Jady has planned for him, under the mistaken belief of fostering family ties.

As a devoted fan, I’ve noticed how Jady subtly weaves her voiceovers throughout the narrative, seamlessly connecting decades of unrealized chances and lingering resentments between the brothers. Peter Dinklage, with his melancholic facial expressions and pleading tone, amplifies the impact of Jady’s strategic emotional influence.

Yet, any efforts at reconciliation are thwarted when Moke learns that Jady has been communicating with Cath for some time without informing him. This unexpected revelation, coupled with her return after three decades, sends him into an emotional tailspin, causing both his mother and brother to intervene and redirect his attention towards the complexities of the heist. What they discover is that the plan is much more intricate than any of them had initially expected.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase it like this:

Instead of maintaining the whimsical, brotherly comedy vibe as seen in films like Adam McKay’s Step-Brothers or Ivan Reitman’s Twins, Brothers seems to depart from that style. It’s not as quirky and amusing as Barbakow’s Palm Springs reminiscent of Groundhog Day, nor does it possess the absurdity typical of Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger.

Nevertheless, they manage to create dynamic characters with swift dialogues for both the main actors and their supporting cast. This is particularly evident in Fraser’s performance as the volatile Farful, a role he plays with exuberant zest. Similarly, Walsh delivers some memorable lines in one of his final performances. Marisa Tomei’s brief appearance also stands out, portraying Jady – a woman who communicates from prison, is involved in a long-distance relationship, and owns an orangutan named Samuel. Interestingly, their bond with Moke, one of the movie’s scarce sources of humor, becomes perverse and intriguing.

In the film, Quyen Tran skillfully captures the scenes with an energetic touch, while Rupert Gregson-Williams provides an engaging score, complemented by popular tunes from the ’70s. However, despite its aim for slapstick humor, the movie seems to pack a heavyweight cast into a thin storyline and rather shallow character development. It’s questionable if viewers on streaming platforms will pick up on the lack of balance, but they are likely to recall the mismatched pair of brothers.

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2024-10-15 17:25